Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Recently I was in the Midwest for a family reunion.  After wards I spent some time in Madison with a friend.  The weather was hot, so we stayed indoors most of the time.  Then one evening the weather changed--there was a cool breeze and the evening became very pleasant.  My friend has a small balcony, just big enough for the two of us.  We toasted each other's birthdays with a glass of wine and then sat to enjoy the evening. We saw the ending of a brilliant sunset, complete with pink-tinged clouds.  Then the stars came out, one by one, and the coolness of the breeze was so refreshing.  We sat silently in each other's presence and in God's presence, enjoying these gifts.  These same gifts were offered to everyone and yet we were the only ones that night in that particular apartment complex aware of these gifts.  Most of the people in this complex are busy people, rarely using their balconies and perhaps even unaware t...

The title of this blog doesn’t look or sound grammatically correct to me, but it fits the spirit of what I want to tell you about today. You may remember that I am the sister who works in an Art Center in a Mobile city park.  The door I am referring to is bright blue and is adorned with a long paintbrush, a drop of paint just tipping off the end. The door is meant to beckon you, to entice you inside. And it does... Inside there are lots of windows which give in good light for doing art, as well as opportunity to gaze at the trees and flowers outside. There are plenty of tables and easels and art-works-in-progress. There to greet you is Kassie, the Art Dog, my 6-month-old Golden Retriever. There are also three friendly art teachers who encourage and instruct all comers. Who comes? Some locally established artists and photographers who want to expand their already awesome skills, or find some fresh inspiration. Some eager children who love to do art and who’s creativity rem...

Last Fall I moved to St. Louis to complete part of my Canonical Novitiate year and amazingly, my ten month stay is coming to a close this week. I have been immersed in Dominican Spirituality and Life. I learned from amazing presenters (Ron Rolheiser, Tony Gittens, and Addie Lorraine Walker to name a few) with a number of men and women novices with whom I shared my questions and insights. Within my local community, I shared the journey with two women also entering the Dominican Family and two seasoned Dominicans guiding us on our way. From stories I heard, I gathered the novitiate would be a time unlike any other. Well, it has been. I have grown in my understanding of community and how it can be both joy-filled and difficult in the same day. I was shown behaviors and ideas from my childhood that don’t serve me any more. I better appreciate prolonged silence and days away to reflect and re-ground. I made connections with more Dominican Sisters and Brothers than I can coun...